Sheet material ornament with unfoldable upstanding fingers

ABSTRACT

Secured, as by a staple, to the approximate center of a supporting plate or disc is an assembly of outer elongated fingers of bendable self-sustaining material, such as crepe paper, with inner elongated backing fingers also of selfsustaining material, such as newsprint paper. These fingers are divided from one another by slits radiating outward from their uncut central portions, which are stapled to the supporing disc. A pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on the rearward side of the supporting plate or disc is temporarily concealed by a removable cover which is detached when the ornament is to be applied to an object. A backing sheet or plate of stiff material is optionally placed on the inner side of the supporting dics. Before or after applying the ornament to the object, the user inserts his fingers underneath the outer ends of the elongated fingers and pushes them upward, fluffing them up, whereupon the two-dimensional device is thereby converted into a three-dimensional ornament of which the elongated radiating fingers remain self-sustaining in their raised positions.

Unite States Patet [191 Pottkotter [111 3,849,234 [451' Nov. 19, 1974 SHEET MATERIAL ORNAMENT WITH UNFOLDABLE UPSTANDING FINGERS Aloysius H. Pottkotter, 20915 Westland, Southfield, Mich. 48075 Filed: Oct. 15, 1973 Appl. No.: 406,674

Inventor:

2/1954 Pettorossi 161/14 12/1971 Mauro 161/12 Primary Examiner-William E. Schulz Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Willis Bugbee Secured, as by a staple, to the approximate center of a supporting plate or disc is an assembly of outer elongated fingers of bendable self-sustaining material, such as crepe paper, with inner elongated backing fingers also of self-sustaining material, such as newsprint paper. These fingers are divided from one another by slits radiating outward from their uncut central portions, which are stapled to the supporing disc. A pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on the rearward side of the supporting plate or disc is temporarily concealed by a removable cover which is detached when the ornament is to be applied to an object. A backing sheet or plate of stiff material is optionally placed on the inner side of the supporting dics. Before or after applying the ornament to the object, the user inserts his fingers underneath the outer ends of the elongated fingers and pushes them upward, flufiing them up, whereupon the two-dimensional device is thereby converted into a three-dimensional ornament of which the elongated radiating fingers remain selfsustaining in their raised positions.

ABSTRACT 10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures SHEET MATERIAL ORNAMENT WITH UNFOLDABLE UPSTANDING FINGERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Previous ornaments have employed stiff backing sheets, such as cardboard sheets which are hingedly attached to one another and which have extending between them an expansible folded accordion-like paper assembly of tissue paper or the like which opens out into an upstanding fluted object when the hinged sheets are swung apart from one another on their hinge portions. Such ornaments are shown in US. Pat. Nos. 847,669 and 1,809,593. Other ornaments without such expansible portions but with cardboard or stiff sheet supports are secured by an adhesive layer to the supporting object as shown in US. Pat. Nos. 2,851,805 and 3,630,810.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Secured as by a metal staple to a stiff rearward supporting disc of sheet material are two superimposed sheets of bendable material such as a front sheet of crepe paper and a rear sheet of newsprint paper. The two superimposed sheets are provided with radially extending fingers separated from one another by radial slits which are joined together at their central portions. A cover disc or card conceals the head or body of the staple. An optional stiff auxiliary backing sheet or card of the same outline as the radially slit sheets is interposed, if desired, between the sheets and the rearward supporting disc. The latter is preferably coated with a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive temporarily covered by a cover disc which is peeled off at the time of application. The fingers formed by the radial slits are transformed from flat to upstanding positions by fluffing them up manually at the time the ornament is to be applied to the desired object, such as an automobile.

In the drawing,

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a sheet material ornament with unfoldable upstanding fingers, according to one form of the invention, with the radiating fingers folded flat into a substantially single plane but with the ends of two such superimposed fingers turned back upon the remainder thereof to illustrate the underlying construction more clearly;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of the ornament of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the ornament of FIG. 1 with the adhesive cover removed, and before unfolding the radiating fingers;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation similar to FIG. 3, but with the fingers fluffed outward into an upstanding threedimensional ornament;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation of a modified ornament of similar construction but of circular shape; and

FIG. 6 is a front elevation of a further modified omament also of similar construction but of bell shape.

Referring to the drawing in detail, FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show a sheet material ornament with unfoldable upstanding fingers, generally designated 10, according to one form of the invention, as consisting of a relatively stiff rearward support such as a card or disc 12, an optional auxiliary backing plate on a sheet 14 which may be omitted if desired, an outer forward support such as a card or disc 18 and a radiating-finger assembly 16 disposed between the forward and rearward support,

cards or discs 12 and 18. The rearward support 12 on its rearward side is provided with a coating 20 (FIG. 2) of pressure-sensitive adhesive which is temporarily covered by a cover sheet 22 with a projecting tab 24 which is peeled off when the ornament 10 is to be applied to an object, such as an automobile,Christmas tree, package or the like.

The radiating-finger assembly 16 consists of a pair of inner and outer sheets 26 and 28 respectively, both being of any suitable bendable self-sustaining material when bent. The inner and outer sheets 26 and 28 are provided with radial slits 30 and 32 respectively which divide these sheets into sector-shaped inner and outer fingers 34 and 36 respectively. It has been found that the inner sheet 26 and outer sheet 28 are conveniently made from newsprint paper and crepe paper respectively. It has also been found that the slits 30 and 32 may be cut simultaneously by a suitable cutting die, and that the presence of the inner sheet 26 during cutting prevents fusion of the outer fingers 36 along their edges after cutting. The rearward and forward supports 12 and 18 are conveniently made of cardboard or plastic and the optional backing member 14 likewise of stiff cardboard or plastic. The rearward and forward supports 12 and 18, the finger assembly 16 and the optional backing sheet 14 are conveniently held together by a conventional metal staple 38 (FIG. 3) having a head 40 from which legs 42 extend rearwardly and are spread apart behind the rearward support 12. The forward support 18 is then applied adhesively to conceal the head 40 of the staple 38 or other fastener. Alternatively, the members 12, 14 and 16 may be secured to one another by a conventional wire staple or other fastener 44 (FIG. 6) applied by a conventional wire stapling device or machine. Such machines and also handoperated staplers are well known and require no decription.

In the manufacture of the ornament 10, the inner and outer sheets 26 and 28 are superimposed and cut simultaneously into the sector-shaped radiating fingers 34 and 36 by a suitable cutting die which produces the radial slits 30 and 32. These slits 30 and 32 terminate short of the center of each sheet 26 or 28 so that the inner ends of the fingers 34 and 36 formed by the cuts 30 and .32 of the cutting die remain attached to central portions and thereby remain attached to one another. The rearward and forward supports 12 and 18 are also stamped out in any suitable and desired shape, the heart shape of the forward support 18 and the circular shape of the rearward support 12 being shown by way of example but not limitation. If the auxiliary backing sheet 14 is used, it likewise is stamped out by a suitable cutting die of the desired outline, such as the heartshaped outline in FIGS. 1 and 2. The thus cut sheets-26 and 28 and the rearward support 12, with or without the optional backing sheet 14, are then assembled in alignment and secured to one another by the twolegged staple 38, whereupon the forward support 18 is applied by a suitable adhesive to cover the head 40 of the staple 38, or the wire staple if used. The adhesive layer 20 is applied to the rearward support either at this time or previously, as convenient, and the cover sheet 22 placed over the adhesive layer 20.

In the use of the ornament 10, the latter is stored, shipped and sold in the flat form shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. To transfonn the ornament from generally twodimensional form (FIG. 3) to three dimensional form (FIG. 4), the user inserts his fingers under the ends of the sector-shaped fingers 34 and 36 and pulls them outward, thereby fluffing up the assembly 16. The rough surfaces of the fingers 34 and 36 thenceforth remain upstanding in their fluffed-up condition.

Either before or after fluffing up the sector-shaped fingers 34 and 36, the user grasps the tab 24 between his thumb and forefingers and peels the cover 22 off the adhesive layer 20, exposing the latter. He then presses the rearward supporting disc 12 against the object, such as an automobile, package or a person, to which the ornament is to be attached, whereupon the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 20 holds the ornament 10 firmly against that object. Thus, it is quick and easy to convert the ornament 10 from its substantially flat twodimensional shape to its fluffed-up three-dimensional shape and to render it highly visible and attractive in appearance. Ornaments 10 may, for example, be quickly and easily attached to an automobile of a wedding party, to gift packages, or to the uniforms or clothing or limbs of persons, and so forth. The ornament 10 is detached from the object by peeling off the rearward support 12 from the object, the pressure-sensitive layer 20 yielding under the applied tension.

The modified ornament, generally designated 50, shown in FIG. 5 is of the same general construction as the device of FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive, except that it is of circular shape rather than heart-shaped. As its component parts are otherwise similar except for their shapes, these parts are designated with the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive. The modified ornament 50 may be made of reduced size in order to place it on the lapel or dress as an ornament in place of a flower. The ornament 50 is made, fluffed up, and attached in the same manner as the ornament 10 of FIG. 1, hence is believed to require no further discussron.

The further modified ornament, generally designated 60, shown in FIG. 6 is likewise of generally similar construction to the ornament 10 of FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive, except that it is of bell-shaped outline rather than heart-shaped. Accordingly, as its component parts are otherwise similar except for their shapes, they are designated with the same reference numerals as FIG. 1. The modified ornament 60 is made, fluffed up and attached to an object and detached therefrom in the same manner as the ornament 10 of FIG. 1 and no further discussion thereof appears to be necessary. The modified ornaments 50 and 60 of FIGS. 5 and 6, however, illustrate the wide variety of shapes in which the invention can be made.

An additional feature of the present invention is the application, to the ornament, of a perfume, the scent of which is for the particular occasion or design. Thus, a carnation perfume is suitable for the present ornament when used as a lapel ornament on Mothers Day, or

orange blossom perfume for lapel ornaments at weddings or for automobile ornament decorations for weddings. A pine scent is suitable for application to the ornaments to be used as a decoration for Christmas packages or on Christmas trees. The color also of the ornament is preferably varied according to the occasion, especially to conform to the shape of the ornament. Thus the color red for the heart shaped ornament for Valentines Day, green for St. Patricks Day where the ornament is in the shape of a shamrock, and orange for Halloween where the ornament is in the shape of a pumpkin.

I claim:

1. An unfoldable-fingered ornament comprising a rearward support of relatively stiff sheet material,

inner and outer superimposed ornamental members of flexible sheet material having central portions and elongated fingers radiating outward from said central portions and foldably flat,

and means for securing said central portions to said rearward support.

2. An unfoldable-fingered ornament, according to claim 1, wherein said securing means comprises a fastener.

3. An unfoldable-fingered ornament, according to claim 2, wherein a forward member of sheet material is superimposed upon and secured to said outer ornamental member in concealing relationship to said fastener.

4. An unfoldable-fingered ornament, according to claim 1, wherein said inner and outer ornamental members comprise radially-slit paper sheet members.

5. An unfoldable-fingered ornament, according to claim 1, wherein said inner ornamental member is composed of newsprint paper.

6. An unfoldable-fingered ornament, according to claim 1, wherein said outer ornamental member is composed of crepe paper.

7. An unfoldable-fingered ornament, according to claim 1, wherein said inner and outer ornamental members are composed of newsprint paper and crepe paper respectively.

8. An unfoldable-fingered ornament, according to claim 1, wherein an auxiliary backing member of relatively stiff sheet material is interposed between said rearward support and said inner ornamental member.

ward support. 

1. An unfoldable-fingered ornament comprising a rearward support of relatively stiff sheet material, inner and outer superimposed ornamentAl members of flexible sheet material having central portions and elongated fingers radiating outward from said central portions and foldably flat, and means for securing said central portions to said rearward support.
 2. An unfoldable-fingered ornament, according to claim 1, wherein said securing means comprises a fastener.
 3. An unfoldable-fingered ornament, according to claim 2, wherein a forward member of sheet material is superimposed upon and secured to said outer ornamental member in concealing relationship to said fastener.
 4. An unfoldable-fingered ornament, according to claim 1, wherein said inner and outer ornamental members comprise radially-slit paper sheet members.
 5. An unfoldable-fingered ornament, according to claim 1, wherein said inner ornamental member is composed of newsprint paper.
 6. An unfoldable-fingered ornament, according to claim 1, wherein said outer ornamental member is composed of crepe paper.
 7. An unfoldable-fingered ornament, according to claim 1, wherein said inner and outer ornamental members are composed of newsprint paper and crepe paper respectively.
 8. An unfoldable-fingered ornament, according to claim 1, wherein an auxiliary backing member of relatively stiff sheet material is interposed between said rearward support and said inner ornamental member.
 9. An unfoldable-fingered ornament, according to claim 1, wherein said fingers are approximately sector-shaped.
 10. An unfoldable-fingered ornament, according to claim 1, wherein a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive material is disposed on the rearward side of said rearward support. 